The sun. [volume] (Morris, Stevens County, Minn.) 1882-1895, 1887-01-13
RAISING SHEEP WITHOUT CARE.

RAISING SHEEP WITHOUT CARE.
scenes on the Islands That Lie on the
Coast Of California Opposite
Santa Barbara.
A correspondent Of The NeV York
Commercial Advertiser, writing from
the islands opposite Santa Barbara,
says: No human being now lives on
either San Nicholas or Anacapa, but
Santa Cruz and Santa Rosa are both
inhabited by few men, who utilize
the islands for the pasturage of large
bands Of sheep. Here, by the way, I
will remark that in California every
collection of animals of any sort is
called band" A herd of cattle,
flock of sheep. party of Indians-any-
thing and everything that walks-when
seen in numb bers is known as band,
and it is regarded as sure sign of be-
ing a ''tenderfoot'' to use any other
term.
Some years ago it was ascertained
that the two islands last mentioned Of
tered unusual facilities for the raising
of sheep, and consequently they were
stocked with these animals from the
mainland. Santa Cruz island is under
the control of a company, while Santa
Rosa is owned by one man. There are
two reasons why these islands are ia
vorable for sheep. On the mainland,
in all directions, grows a weed which
bears very large burrs, and the sheep,
in feeding around, always get numbers
of these in their wool, and so reduce
its market value greatly. On the is
land none of these burrs are found. On
the mainland, too, it is necessary to
have herders employed to see that the
sheep do not wander away, and also
that wild animals do not devour the
young and defenseless lambs. On the
islands there are no wild animals, and
the sheep need no herders, and are al
lowed to wander at will. During the
greater part of the year no more than
half a dozen men are needed on either
island, but when shearing time comes
which is once every six months--there
is a lively scene for a while. Large
parties of shearers are brought over
from the mainland. and they must be
expert riders, as we'll as skillful hand
lers of the shears. Many horses are
kept on the islands, and as soon as the
shearers arrive these are caught and
saddled, and all hands 60 to one end of
the island, which is quite hilly, and
partly covered with husk and timber,
The shearing corrals are about the cen
ter of the island, and the men form a
line at some distance from each other,
reaching from shore to shore and so
sweep it clear of the sheep, driving all
before them to the corrals. This pro-
cess is repeated from the other end of
the island, and in this way few of the
animals escape the ''round-up.'
The scene in the shearing sheds is an
interesting one to the observer who has
never been present at such a spectacle
in California. Fifty or sixty swarthy
natives or half breed Indians, stripped
to the waist, are gathered in long shed
open at the sides. On one side is the
corral where the sheep are waiting to
be deprived of their coats, which in
this climate grows so rapidly that the
clipping process takes place twice a
year. Each man goes into the corral,
which has numerous gates, and, seizing
a sheep by the hind-legs, drags it on
the shearing floor under the shed.
Here it is thrown on it's back, and the
shearer holds it motionless with his
legs while the rapid snip, snip of the
shears cuts the wool from the animal S
body. Walking up and down the
length of the shed is boy with a can
full of peculiar kind of composition,
which he is ready at call to apply to
wounds unavoidably made by the
shears upon the animals which are
more than usually obstreperous. 1t is
the mark of good shearer never to
send blood-stained fleece to the pack
ing bench, but sometimes the sheep
struggle so that it is almost impossible
to avoid wounding them. Each man,
as he finishes taking the fleece from
the sheep, runs with full speed with it
to the other end of the shed, where he
hands it to the packer, while tally
keeper gives the shearer brass check
representing the value of cents, and
at the same time enters a record upon
book opposite the shearer's name.
The celebrity with which an accom-
plished shearer will remove a heavy
fleece is remarkable, and there is al
ways more or less rivalry between the
men on such occasions. Whenever Wis
itors are present the swiftest men make
point of getting up match, and l
have held the watch and seen fleece
removed in just four minutes and twen-
ty seconds from the time the sheep left
the corral This, of conrse, is rapid
work, the average time being from
eight to twelve minutes per sheep. The
standard price is cents a head, and,
as the men are given their board, it is
seen that very fair wages may be made.
The work is very unpleasant, however
The dust and scent of the sheep rises
in clouds and is perfectly sitting, while
The effort to hold the animal in position
and at the same time remove the wool
without injuring it is very trying, both
to the muscle and the patience.
After the days work is done the men
gather in their quarters, and, with
greasy packs of cards, gamble away
the checks which they have received
for their labor 1t often happens that
the shearers 90 back to the mainland
after a hard months labor without a
nickel to show for all they have done,
while someone more fortunate with the
cards will have gathered in a good
store of checks without having touched
a sheep.
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